Fly-trap.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLY-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed December 5,1906. semi No. 346.410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN LENTHIER, of Boston,

in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fly-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fly trap comprising a base and an inverted cup or dome supported by the base and adapted to transmit light, means being provided within the inclosure formed by the cup and base for containing bait, and guarded inlets being provided adapted to permit flies to enter said space, and to prevent their exit.

The invention has for its object to increase the inlet facilities of the trap, so that flies crawling on the table may enter the trap through the bottom of the base, the effectiveness of the trap being therefore materially increased. The invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a trap embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the guard shown in section in to surround a throat or opening 13, the base being preferably of annular form, and the throat or opening being intended to permit the upward passage of flies from the table or support on which the trap rests. The annular body portion of the base is raised above the table or support so that flies crawling on the table can pass freely under the base, and enter the throat 13. To this end I have here shown the base provided with feet 14 separated by passages 15. On the base is supported an inverted cup or dome 16, which is adapted to transmit light from the exterior to the interior, and is preferably composed of glass. While the cup 16 may bear directly upon the base 12, I prefer to interpose between it and the base, a sheet metal ring or band 17, which may be considered as one of the sections of the dome. The lower edge of said ring is detachably fitted in an annular groove 18 in the upper surface of the base, and its upper edge is offset to form an annular shoulder 19 which supports the mouth or lower end of the glass cup 16, the latter being separable from the band 17. The band 17 may be provided with a series of guarded inlets 21, as shown in the Letters Patent to Lenthier and Rouilliard No. 818,836, dated April 24,1906, said inlets being preferably formed by penetrating the sheet metal of the band in such manner as to form openings surrounded by inwardly-projecting burs or sharp points which are arranged so that while not opposing the entrance of flies into the cup,they will guard the entrances against the exit of the flies.

22 represents a guard which extends over the throat 13, and is provided with one or more guarded inlets 23, adapted to permit flies to pass singly through the guard into the cup, the construction of the inlets 23 being such as to prevent or oppose the exit of the flies from the cup. The guard is preferably composed of foraminous material, such as woven wire, the inlets 23 being surrounded by outwardly bent ends of numerous strands of the wire, these ends forming a guard which obstructs the escape of flies through the inlets. vided with a sheet metal binding strip 24, this being in the present case of annular form, and resting on an annular shoulder 25 formed in the throat'13.

26 represents an annular bait trough formed in the The margin of the guard is preferably proupper surface of the base 12, and located between the base of the cup andthe guard 22, the said trough being below the inlets 21. If desired, a sheet metal bait trough 27 may be secured to the guard 22 at a suitable height above the margin of the guard.

and the foraminous guard. They will be further at tracted by the bait in the trough 26 and in the trough 27, if the latter is employed. Their course will therefore naturally be upward, so that they will encounter the guard, and continue until they reach the inlets 23, through which they will pass to the interior of the cup, Where they are confined against escape by the guarded inlets.

It will be seen that the facilities afforded for the attraction and admission of flies to the interior of the cup, are greatly increased by the threat in the base and the guard extending across the throat. The bait troughs 26 and 27 being of annular form and very narrow, are adapted to expose considerable areas of bait without consuming a large quantity; hence the device is economical in this respect.

The parts are all separable from each other, so that the device can be readily taken apart for the removal of the contents of the cup and for cleansing purposes.

The open base permits the free introduction of water into the cup when the device is inverted, for the purpose of killing the flies, the separability of the parts enabling the dead flies to be readily removed, and the bait receptacles cleansed and replenished.

The base 12 may have a narrow inwardly-projecting trough or gutter 30 located below the shoulder 25, and projecting inwardly therefrom to hold a very small quantity of bait which will be held in close proximity to the support on which the trap rests, so that flies crawling under the base will be more readily attracted by it than by the bait in the trough 26, which is at a higher point. The trough 30 should be so narrow that flies can readily crawl across it and the bait therein contained, so that they will not be liable to be caught by the bait if the latter is of a sticky nature.

The feet 14 supporting the base are preferably relatively narrow, and the passages 15 relatively wide, so

that they admit light under the base. Hence flies crawling inwardly in any direction see light ahead, and are encouraged thereby to pass under the base. I have found that flies will not readily enter a dark space, and that their entrance to any of the openings 15 is facilitated by light passing through corresponding openings at the opposite side of the base.

I claim:

1. A fly trap comprising an annular base having a receiving throat, and provided with entrances leading from the exterior of the base to said throat, a cup supported by the base, and a guard seated in the throat, and provided with guarded inlets.

2. A fly trap comprising an annular base having a re ceiving throat, and provided with entrances leading from the exterior of the base to said throat, and with an annular bait trough surrounding the upper end of the throat, a

cup supported by the base and surrounding the trough, and a dome-shaped foraminous guard seated in the throat, and provided with guarded inlets.

3, A fly trap comprising an annular base having a receiving throat, and provided with entrances leading from the exterior of the base to said throat, a cup supported by the base, and a dorne-sl1aped foraminous guard seated in the throat, and provided with guarded inlets, said guard having a bait trough on its upper surface.

4. A fly trap comprising an annularbase having a receiving throat provided with a guard-supporting shoulder and entrances leading from the exterior of the base to the throat, an annular bait trough surrounding the upper end of the throat above the shoulder, an annular bait trough formed in the throat below the shoulder, a cup supported by the base and surrounding the upper bait trough, and a dome-shaped foraminous guard seated on the shoulder and provided with guarded inlets.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN LENTHIER.

Witnesses C. l BROWN, E. BA'lCI-IELDER. 

